Process for making an anhydrous reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde.



UNITED sTATEs' PATENT ore-non V FERDINAND GERHARD WIECHMANN, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FENOFORM CORPORATION, OF HASTINGS-UPON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW PROCESS FOR MAKING AN ANHYDROUS REACTION PRODUCT OF PHENOL AND I Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

YORK.

FORMALDEHYDE.

1 080 188. Specification of Letters Patent. No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND GERHARD WVIEO MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses for Making an Anhydrous Reaction Product of Phenol and'Formaldehyde, of

which the following is a specification.

'My invention consists in the process of making an anhydrous reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde by a single reaction, and further, the process of making a composite body containing an anhydrous reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde with a suitable fillingmaterial, as also a new is formed in and retained'by the initial cofidensation product, which when such product is used alone or is combined with other materials, is objectionable, in that when such initial condensation product alone or combined with other materials, is subjected'to heat to effect polymerization, such water is set free and vaporized in the form of steam, and makes the secondary product spongy, which action can only be overcome by subjecting the initial condensation product or the initial condensation product and; the other materials, during the process of manufacture into commercial forms, to the simultaneous actionof heat and pressure.

The object of my invention, therefore, may be stated to be the production of an initial reaction product which contains no. water and which may be molded alone or in combination with other materials, and which during molding and during final polymerization by heat, does not form water or evolve vapors, does not form a spongy mass and therefore does not in the final treatment,

require the simultaneous application of heat and pressure. q

To carry my invention into effect, I take Application filed January 30, 1912. Serial No. 674,243.

a determined quantity of crystallized carbolic acid, phenol (C H O) or some of its homologues, for instance, 100 parts of any one of the above mentioned substances; I may, however, also combine several of these substances in the 100v parts. To this I add paraform (C l-I 0 in the form of a dry powder. Instead of using paraform, I may use any dry or condensed type of formaldehyde, either in the form of a solid or agas, for instance, from 10 to 35 parts of paraform or its equivalent, according to certain qualities of'the product desired, to 100 parts of the substance or substances first men tioned. After these bodies are mixed, I subject them to the action of heat, 2'. 6., that approximating their boiling point, and which heat should be continued for a definite time, as hereinafter stated. When 6. g. 100 parts of phenol are used with 35 parts of paraform the mixture begins to boil usually below 110 C. During all or part of the time the combined substances are subjected to heat, I also'subject them to the .action of dry ammonia gas, or any other body which will facilitate the production of an anhydrous reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde. This process requires about three hours for its completion, and the product is a. viscous, syrupy looking body, which upon test with anhydrous copper sulfate will be found to be substantially free from water. The reaction taking place in the above process I would state to be as follows: dry henol (C H O) plus dry for-' maldehyde CH,O) plus dry ammonia (NH,) :dry reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde.

The product obtained fro-m the treatment as above described, has the following physical characteristics It is an anhydrous, viscous non-hygroscopic syrup, is soluble in a mixture of 80% methyl alcohol and 20% amyl alcohol; it may be mixed with many bodies, such for instance as wood pulp, asbestos, vegetable or animal albumen, cellulose, abrading materials, coloring materials, sulfur, rubber, or in fact with most materials comprehended in the terms organic and inorganic bodies.

The anhydrous reaction product 'may be used as a varnish or a lacquer, alone or combined with solvents such as alcohols, etc.,

. ed with or without this merely acts to give coloring matters,and the like. The reaction .product above described, when. subjected to .heat alone, presents the following character= istics: when subjected'to heat'of about 80 centigrade for some hours, passes into the solid condition, but is still softened by heat. After a further heating for several hours more, at a temperature of about 90 centigrade, it is changed in such a manner that it is no longer readily soluble in the solvent alcohols, as above described, nor in many other solvents, but is still may be placed into jmolds and is easily shaped to form articles of manufacture. It

may also be combined with the substances heretofore mentioned to form such articles. When in this state the product may be moldpressure; when pressure is used, however, form, and not to prevent-the evolution of gaseous vapors which would tend to convert the material into a spongy body. When this last named form ofthe material is fur-' ther subjected to a heat of approximately; becomes an in' 160 to 180 0., it quickly soluble, infusible body, wh1ch is insoluble in boiling water and most chemical reagents. This same result is obtained pct is exposed to' a'lower heat for a longer What I wish to have understood; is that I;

I for producing, 3

time. Intliisfinal form it cannot be melted or molded.

believe I am the first to describe a recessbyonereaction, an anh product, of phenol and i forgest the coni-f protein, -cel lulose, albuminous and similar bodies of of bodies of mineral origin, alone or incorporated with; coloring matters, bleaching agents; and the drous reaction maldehyde, and further, to s bination of such product Wit vegetable origin, as well as like.

Generally, I claim as m invention, any method of producing an a ydrous reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde and every body. with whichsuch' bodymay be incorporated. I I The term anhyd bus is used herein in re ferring' to -the pro u'ctof the present invensoftened by heat and when the prod- I Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

The process of roduciug an'anhydrous reaction, product of phenol and formaldehyde which comprises heating a mixture of substantially anhydrous phenol and formaldehyde inthe presence of anagent promoting the formation of such product'until a liquid anhydrous product results insoluble in water.

2. The process of producing-an anyhdrous reaction product of phenol and formalde= hyde which comprises heating a mixture of substantially anhydrous phenol and paraform in the presence of an agent promoting the formation of such product until a liquid anhydrous product results insoluble in water.

3. The process of producing an anhydrous reaction product of phenol and formaldehyde which comprises heating a mixture of substantially anhydrous-phenol and formaldehyde in the resenc of dry ammonia until a liquid anhy' rous product results insoluble in water.

4. The process of producing an anhydrous reaction product of phenol and" formaldehyde which comprises heating a mixture of 100 parts of crystallized carbol ic acid and .from 10 to 35 parts of paraforin in the pres ence offan agent promoting the formation-of 1 suchproduct until a liqui anhydrous product results insoluble in water. 9

5.- Asa new article ofmanufacture an an- A hvdrou's reactioiiproduct resultin from the interaction- 6f phenol and su water-free jormalglehyde, being a viscous syrupy liquid at ordinary temperatures, nonhygroscopic, insoluble in water, and disclos mg no water present upon test. with anhydrous copper sulfate.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my s1gnature, in the presence of two witnesses' rrrmmrn ermmniwmcnnmr.

-Witnesses: Fnsnons Kmnmon, Hanan E. Konrson.

stantially 

